$1,700.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Late 20th Century/Early 21st Century
35" H x 15.5" L x 18" W, 2.875" H x 14" D - Base with Turquoise
Hand Made from Wood, Hide Leather, Glass Seed Beads, Fur, Feathers, Pony Beads Oblong Cream Colored Beads, Silver Beads, Turquoise, Hair, Antlers, Cloth a Fox Skin and Abalone Shells This is an Elaborate Doll with Extensive Detail
In Very Good Condition
Misha Malpica (also known as Michele or Michelle Malpica, born 1953) is a self-taught American mixed-media sculptor and art doll maker based in Ruidoso, New Mexico. She has created unique figurative sculptures for over 30–40 years and is best known for highly realistic depictions of Native Americans—warriors, elders, storytellers, and other figures—with expressive, detailed faces and “haunting eyes.” She hand-sculpts the faces (often in polymer clay such as Cernit), builds soft bodies over wire armatures, and adorns them with leathers, furs, feathers, beads, pottery shards, and other materials. Her later work expanded into high-fired ceramics, wall sculptures, masks, horses, animals, and contemporary figures, often using warm earth tones with accents of turquoise or red.
After returning to New Mexico around 1995–1997, her work drew deeper inspiration from Southwest cultures, landscapes, and her Hispanic and Anglo roots. She has described her process as seeing faces come to life in the clay, capturing a fleeting glimpse of a person’s story and spirit. Notable recognition includes:1995 White House Christmas tree ornaments; pieces in the Permanent Collection of American Artists in Washington, D.C.
1993 Collector’s Award of Excellence for a Sacajawea sculpture.
1998 Best Artist award from the Hubbard Museum of the American West.
2003 Mark Wroe Award of Excellence in Art from Thunderbird Artists of Arizona.
Multiple Best in Show and Best in Category awards at festivals (including Ruidoso Art Festival, Weems Artfest, and Arizona Fine Art Expo). Features in Southwest Art, Wild West Magazine (featured artist, February 2000), New Mexico Magazine, and local Ruidoso publications; appearance on HGTV’s Artists Coast to Coast. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as the Currier Museum of Art, Wenham Museum, Stricoff Fine Art (New York), and others. Collectors have included celebrities such as Demi Moore, Lucille Ball, and Anne Rice. She has also taught sculpting workshops and completed large commissions, including life-size figures. Malpica’s pieces are collectible art dolls and mixed-media sculptures rather than commercial toys.
Condition:
Very Good
Tribe:
Non-Native
Year Range:
1975 - 2000
Region:
Southwest
Dimensions:
35 in15.5 in18 in2.88 in14 in
Category:
Dolls - Other
